Highland MSP and local award winning road safety campaigner, David Stewart, who set up the campaign group NOSDAT – North Of Scotland Driver Awareness Team- seven years ago, has teamed up again with road safety partner Park’s Motor Group to launch a campaign highlighting the dangers of speeding motorists which is to be aired as a series of radio adverts during road safety week(20th – 26th November).

The Speed Down campaign is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of driving at speed especially in built up areas, as an educational element delivered through leaflets and radio advertising on local radio station, MFR and will coincide with Road Safety Week later this month.

David Stewart, speaking on behalf of NOSDAT said:

“We are looking at all the issues that cause or contribute to road collisions.

“Over the past seven years, I have launched many road safety campaigns with my partners.

“The main issue I have being trying to promote is the introduction of a form of graduated licence scheme.

“As part of this work I met with many organisations, businesses and Transport Ministers in Westminster, to push for this scheme.

“As a result of part of our work, the UK Government launched a £2 million review of driver training and is now implementing changes as a result.

“At the same time however, I feel passionately that we need to deal with driver behaviour in all its forms. This includes driver speed.

“I want on behalf of my team at NOSDAT to remind all drivers to be very aware of the consequences of their actions whilst driving.

“The simple fact is that if you drive at speed it means that drivers have less time to identify and react to what is happening around them, and it takes longer for the vehicle to stop.

“It removes the driver’s safety margin and turns near misses into collisions.

“Around two-thirds of collisions in which people are killed or injured occur on roads with a speed limit of 30 mph or less.

“At 30 mph vehicles are travelling at three car lengths each second.

“One blink and the driver may fail to see the early warning brake lights; a short glance away and the movement of a child behind a parked car will be missed.

“Even in good conditions, the difference in stopping distance between 30 mph and 35 mph is an extra two car lengths so think speed and slow down.

“Once again I want to thank Park’s Motor Group for supporting us in our work regarding this road safety campaign.

Park’s Motor Group said,

“We are delighted to join up with NOSDAT which was set up by David Stewart MSP, to again highlight a road safety issue.

“Road safety is key in reducing road collisions, fatalities and serious injuries as a result.

“As a major vehicle dealer in the North and across Scotland, Park’s Motor Group have been and continue to be, at the forefront of road safety across the Highlands & Islands and beyond.”

Nick Lloyd, Road Safety Manager with RoSPA said,

“Excessive speed is a major contributory factor in crashes, the faster you go the less time you have to react and the longer it will take you to stop.

“Unfortunately some drivers either intentionally or unintentionally drive above the speed limit thereby placing themselves, their passengers and other road users in danger.

“Speed limits have been set to inform drivers of the maximum safe speed in optimum driving conditions and need to be observed in the interest of public safety.”